The Harry Potter Paradigm
by ShaMak
Summary: Harry is spending holydays at Grimmauld place. Will he be able to tell Sirius his true feelings? Angsty, SirusHarry and RemusCharlie. Rating has been changed! Ignores OotP and HBP, mostly.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Own only the plot.

**This is a very angsty fic, be warned. There is also one slash kiss, but nothing more is even implied. This fic, for obvious reasons, ignores OotP.**

* * *

**The Harry Potter Paradigm**

It was late. Harry Potter, however, could not sleep. The black-haired, bespectacled 16-year-old was too busy listening to the groans and yells from the next room. Sirius' room.

It was the holydays, and he had left Hogwarts to stay with his godfather at Grimmauld Place. They would go visit the Weasleys for both Christmas day and New Year's, but would otherwise stay in, just enjoying each other. Probably Harry would enjoy Sirius more than the other way around. The youth discovered having a crush on his godfather when he was in his fourth year, when Sirius appeared at the Gryffindor Common Room fireplace to talk to Harry. His face was rounder, he had regained a little weight, and he was absolutely gorgeous.

The raven-haired tried to forget about this so-called crush, he really did, with all his might (and he was the Boy-Who-Lived, so, it is saying a lot). But he couldn't, and when he realized this he also realized that it wasn't a crush. No, he had had a crush on Cho, and even a little bit on Ginny. But he didn't have a crush on Sirius. He loved Sirius, was _in love_ with him. Which, by all means, only made his life even harder.

Well, now there he was, listening to the man he loved sleep, or, rather listening to his nightmares. Harry wouldn't just lie there while Sirius was having such a bad time. No way! He would go, wake Sirius up, and soothe him. And, maybe, just maybe, he would gather up all of his Gryffindor courage and tell the gray-eyed man just how much he loved him.

So he got up, wearing his pj's, put his slippers on, and left the room. Quietly, he turned the doorknob of the closest room, only to get frightened by a louder moan. Forgetting all about quietness, he snapped the door shut, and ran towards the four-poster bed, on the other side of the room. Harry gently squeezed Sirius' broad shoulders, whispering soft words for him to get up. Quite uselessly, it might be added. Ignoring discretion again, he started to shake the older man, while speaking in a normal volume, "Sirius, come on. Open your eyes!"

That seemed to do it; the man snapped his eyes open and lifted his upper body from the mattress, panting and sweating heavily. His eyes looked on Harry's and he seemed to settle down a bit.

"Oh, it's you Harry," he said, bringing his own hand to his heart, trying to steady the muscle's rhythm. "Thanks. I was just having a nightmare."

Harry decided to use some humor to lighten him up. "Yeah, I got that part. Bet it was a wet dream, huh?"

Sirius smiled. _It worked!_ "I wish Harry, really. It was just… you know, Azkaban."

"Wanna talk about it?"

God! Sometimes, so fucking many times, Harry was the one that seemed to be the adult. "No, it's fine. Sorry for waking you."

"Don't be, I was awake. 've been having trouble sleeping." Harry started gathering some courage, to ask what he wanted. "Uhn- Maybe- Err- Do you thing it would help, if I sleep here, with you?" he tried breaking the effect of the 'sleep with you' with the 'here' in the middle. "I mean, I know it would help me to sleep," he pressed on, "but maybe it would help with your nightmares too." By now his cheeks were burning up.

Sirius appeared to think on it for a moment. "Yes, Harry, maybe it will help. Thanks for offering."

"It's a pleasure." Harry regretted the words the moment they left his mouth. _A 'pleasure'! Fucking shit, I sound like a whore trying to get a client!_

So the youth climbed on the bed. He did not expect, however, for Sirius to hold him the minute he settled in. He turned his head to face Sirius, who smile. Right there, Harry's heart melted, his brain was sent to oblivion, his skin was set on fire. And, before he got any control over himself, he leant forward and kissed Sirius' pink lips. Surprised, the older man was paralyzed, allowing his godson to suck on his bottom lip lasciviously.

The words left Harry's mouth before he had time to give 'em any thought, the moment his lips broke away from Sirius', "I'm in love with you."

Sirius jaw dropped. He had just been kissed by his godson, which all by itself would make for a completely mad evening. But to hear from the same a confession of love was just parallel-universe crazy.

"Oh, Harry! I… I-"

"Don't. Just don't say anything." The green-eyed youth interrupted. "Let's sleep on it now, and talk tomorrow, OK?" And, without waiting for an answer, he snuggled up to his godfather's chest and closed his eyes. Sirius could do nothing but hold him and try to figure out his own feelings.

* * *

Harry woke up early the next day, feeling completely in peace with the world. His nose was touching something warm. Hell, his whole body was touching something warm. So the youth took a deep breath and the most amazing smell invaded his nostrils, his throat, his lungs and his whole body. That smell was Sirius.

The Boy-Who-Lived tilted his head slightly upwards and saw the most breathtaking sight in the world. Sirius was fast asleep. For the next two hours (that seemed both like two minutes and two days), until Sirius' eyes opened, Harry just took what he could of such astounding beauty, thankful to Merlin that he escaped Voldemort, if only to be there that moment.

* * *

Sirius woke up very slowly. I took at least twenty minutes for slumber to retreat from his brain little by little, peacefully. The only thing he could feel until he finally fully regained consciousness was the warmth that involved him.

But, eventually, he did opened his eyes, only to find two perfectly round jade beads eyeing him back. The previous night landed on his head with the grace of a blue whale in the desert (NA: do catch the irony there, reader!), momentarily spreading a pulsating ache through the older man's head. The youth, however, didn't notice.

"Hey." Harry said.

"Hey."

"Did you had any other nightmares?"

"Not really. Guess you were right." Well, that was awkward. _Great, Black, you're getting better by the minute!_

"Oh." Harry said, disappointed.

"Any problems with that? Wasn't that the whole point?"

_Other then getting you to shag me into oblivion, yeah, sure._ "It's not that. It's just… You're awake."

Sirius grinned. "That tends to happen every morning. Eventually, it happens in the afternoons, but only after a night out."

"Ha ha, very funny! I meant that… well- I was hoping… I could watch you sleep a little longer. I don't want the picture to ever leave my mind. I'll label it 'the most beautiful sight on Earth'."

The older man blushed violently. "Harry, we need to talk."

Harry sat straight into the bed. "Alright." _Well, Potter, this is it. No matter what happens, DON'T CRY. _

"Oh boy. How can I say this?" Sirius looked at Harry, that had just achieved the color of Nearly Headless Nick. "Uhn… I-I'm sorry Harry, but, I just-" He stopped as Harry held one of his hands forward.

"Just answer this," The youth said, trying not to faint and also to get rid of the lump on his throat. _Maybe I should just cut the lump out. Who knows, I might actually cut a carotid. Now, that's a hopeful thought! _"Could you ever… love me like that?" Harry paused at the word 'love' slightly. After saying it, he held his breath, knowing that his next intake of air might just as well be in hope or in despair.

Sirius chose the latter for him. "I don't think I could. Sorry."

Harry felt dizzy and sick. "Don't be sorry. One cannot change how he feels. He just does." Now he was definitely shaking. His insides were screaming and twisting. Harry wondered if Voldemort knew how insignificant the pain of the Cruciatus Curse was, compared to this.

The godfather was now really concerned. "Harry? Are you feeling alright?"

The laugh escaping Harry's lips was unstoppable and hysterical, it echoed through the whole mansion and only subsided several minutes later. _He just shattered my existence, he takes the reason right out of my life and then asks me if I'm alright! For the love of Merlin! No! I'm not alright. I would rather Voldemort captured me, let all his Death Eaters rape me, tortured me for a few days and killed me, than hearing what you just said. Because, somehow, I could fight that! For the first time, I wish that I didn't go to Hogwarts, I wish I could just kept living in that damned closet below the stairs; so, no, alright is light-years away of how I'm feeling._ "I'm fine, Sirius. Excuse me." And he left, locking himself in his room.

* * *

The raven-haired boy only came out of his room in mid-afternoon. Sirius decided not to bother him because Harry needed to '_think things over_'. That was, however, hardly what he was doing.

When he did come out, he was dressed in a white T-shirt and a faded black pair of jeans. The Boy-Who-Lived had his trunk behind him.

Sirius, seeing this, gaped for a few moments. "Where the hell do you think you are going?"

Harry sustained his angry look with completely lifeless green eyes. It reminded Sirius of Lilly's eyes after her death, when Sirius last went to Godric's Hollow. It saddened him deeply to see that look on Harry, even more considering that it was his fault. And to think that he promised James that he would protect Harry always… But what could he have said?

"The Burrow. I sent an owl to Ron, they are expecting me."

Now what was the boy talking about? "Wait a minute!"

"No!"

"No!"

Harry's shoulders slumped down a bit. "No, I'm not gonna wait. I can't stand it. It- It's too much…"

"What is too much?" Sirius asked, wide-eyed and preoccupied.

"This! This place! This damned place, and your voice and your smell and- and YOU!" he yelled. "It just hurts too fucking much! It is physically intoxicating! I threw up three times already!" He held the same number of fingers in his right hand. _You will not cry now, Harry Potter! Get a fucking grip!_

Sirius just gaped, but Harry didn't wait for him to get himself together. He just kept descending the stairs and entered the living room. The last thing Sirius heard with Harry in the house was 'The Burrow', when the youth called the destination in the fireplace, and, suddenly, the man was alone.

* * *

"Well? Tell me what happened! Why did you **had** to leave Grimmauld Place?" Ron asked his best friend. Harry had owled him earlier that day, asking to spend the rest of the holydays at his house; Ron's mother was quick to accept, saying that Harry was too thin and, that way, she would solve that problem. So, when the Boy-Who-Lived showed up at his fireplace a few minutes earlier, Mrs. Weasley simply hugged him, no questions asked. Harry thought he would break down right there. But, he mustered his forces and was able to hold on a little longer.

But now, in Ron's room, Harry didn't know how much longer he would be able to keep his tears bottled up. "I... told him." Yes, Ron knew about Harry's feelings. He told him while he was still trying to figure out himself, and the red-head was always very supportive, though he did express concern for Harry would most probably be hurt by these feelings. He was right.

"And he said he didn't...? Well, you can always try and seduce him anyway, ya know."

Harry had to smile. Ron was trying his best to lighten his mood, but that was really no good. "Actually, I asked him if he thought he could ever... love me that way. He- he said no." Tears were definitely finding their way through the youth's face.

"Oh." Ron felt his own heart being squeezed. He hated seeing Harry that vulnerable. I mean, the guy stood up to You-Know-Who half a dozen times! So, the Weasley went to Harry's bed and patted him on the shoulder. "It's OK. You'll get over it, sooner or later."

"I don't know, Ron," he said, by this time he was sobbing. "This isn't like the Cho thing, it really isn't. When he said he didn't love me... Hell, even now, I just wished I never even went to Hogwarts. That's how serious this is. I actually threw up! And I eat nothing today. I... I really don't know what to do anymore. Merlin! I'm such a fucking mess."

Ron had no real answer for that. He never thought that his friend's love was that real, always comparing it to Cho, but Harry was really having a breakdown. And it was also killing Ron to watch. Suddenly, Harry buried his head in the pillow. "Harry," Ron said, tentatively.

"It's my own fucking fault. I forgot the Harry Potter Paradigm!"

Ron was confused. "The Harry Potter Paradigm?"

"Yeah," Harry's voice was muffled, his head never left the pillow. "I believe the correct phrasing would be 'Harry Potter can only have a nice thing happening to him once every two or more years.'." The raven-haired started to slightly shake, and groan on the bed.

Ron, again had no answer. He really wished he could say it wasn't truth. But he knew Harry's life, and it really was truth. First he had to live with those stupid muggles, which brought only disgrace after disgrace to his life. Then, the first nice thing, Harry found out he was a wizard and went to Hogwarts, where he met his friends. But there he had to face You-Know-Who in a painful fight. The same happened second year. Well, third year he found Remus and Sirius, so, second nice thing, happening two years after the first. Fourth year he had to face enormous challenges and was tortured by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Fifth year... well, maybe Cho was a nice thing. This year, then, he would have nothing good happening to him. So, really, it was truth.

He left the room, not being able to take Harry's pain anymore. A tear could be seen trickling through Ron's own cheek.

Harry was left in his friend's room, with only a wet pillow to comfort him, the most beautiful image of Sirus peacefully sleeping, his silky black hair touching his full lips, burned in his eyes.

* * *

**NA: I am inclined to make a sequel to this. Let me know if you think it's a good idea.**

_**Read and Review!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Do I really need to go there? See chap. 1!

Thanks to my lovely readersand reviewers: **bluerose24**, **Emerald-prongs-fan, Mrs. Sniffy, Alexiel86 **and **Vellouette**(thanks for sticking with me). This is nothing without you! I hope you like this chapter!

**---II---**

The next days did not bring any relief to Harry's mind, heart or soul. His eyes were constantly puffy and red, he was much paler than usual and the skin below his eyes was dyed in deep blue. Which was of no real importance, considering he didn't leave the room at all since he got there, except, of course, to go to meals, where he ate almost nothing. Mrs. Weasley had actually gotten depressed, thinking that Harry didn't like her food anymore. It was quite a struggle to convince the woman it was nothing of the sort.

It was incredibly heart breaking for one seeing the state Harry was in. The youth never actually thought he had any shot at being with Sirius, but he wasn't able to repress a side of him that always hoped everything would be alright, that Harry would eventually act on his feelings and Sirius would act back with the same enthusiasm. That side was wrong. So very, very wrong. And now he had nothing.

Nothing, because in the last months what kept him going was exactly this hope, the unconscious belief in the slight possibility that his godfather loved him. What was he supposed to do next?

Without an answer, the youth passed more and more time crying in the bed.

* * *

The days went by slowly and painfully for the raven-haired, green-eyed young man that was staying at the Weasley's. They did not pass slow enough, however, and soon it was New Year's Eve. Harry couldn't deny Mrs. Weasley the courtesy of attending to her great New Year's party. Everyone of the order was invited, and even Dumbledore promised to go.

So the youth found himself getting prepared at Ron's room. Deciding that if he would go, he'd go well dressed and trying to be happy, Harry started carefully choosing his clothes and get dressed. He knew that most younger wizards wore muggle clothes to semi-informal parties; therefore, he decided to go that way. When he finished, his mirror reflection said "Well done!" He had to agree.

Harry was wearing a navy-blue pair of jeans and a deep green slightly clingy shirt. In his neck, hung a narrow and rather long gold chain, with a lighting-shaped pendant in it. It was a gift he got a long time ago from the only person that was good to him before he found out he was a wizard: his old best-friend Sarah. She had died in a boat accident when he was 10, and it was earlier the same year that he received the gift. He only wore it when he felt like having his old friend back with him. Now, more than ever, he wanted her. He wanted someone who didn't know Sirius, to tell him how his godfather was a complete and utter idiot for not having him, how the older man should rot in hell for breaking his heart.

No, it's not that Harry felt any of it towards Sirius; but he just wanted someone completely biased to hate Sirius simply for not wanting him. Ron and Hermione just couldn't do that because they knew what a good man Sirius was. _Enough with getting depressed. I should just get down and get it over with. I might have some fun._

So he did get down, and found the whole first floor of the Burrow crowded. He could see Tonks in a purple dress, Kingsley wearing a suit, Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley wearing a set of worn red robes, Remus wearing a battered beige shirt and equally battered olive khakis. Mad-eye was there too, wearing black robes and looking as vigilant as ever; as well as Snape, that was looking utterly disgusted. The other Weasleys were there too, as well as Hermione, all of them using muggle clothes. Also, Harry could see some people he didn't know, probably some order members.

Hermione, who was distractedly talking to Ron, waved her head and was able to catch sight of Harry. "Harry! I'm glad you decided to come!" She threw herself in his arms.

"It's OK, Mione... It's OK. You don't have to crush me."

"Oh. Sorry. And, sorry, for what happened." In response, the raven-haired youth just smiled, unable to talk about the subject. She knew, like Ron, about his unrequited love for Sirius when he told her a few months ago. His friend must have put her up-to-date. While they talked, little fairies were flying around, letting something that looked remarkably like glitter fall everywhere.

Ron, in the meanwhile, had walked to them. "Hey, mate. You look better."

Before Harry could thank him, Mione cut him. "Better? He look bloody gorgeous! This clothes are simply perfect for you Harry. And I love that chain. Is that a lightning? It's very nice."

Ron, by this time, was fuming and red. He left them walking loudly. "I wish you didn't use me to make him jealous. He **is** my best friend, you know."

"Me? Using you to make **him **jealous? I don't kno-"

"Oh, come on! I can see right through you. He is jealous and you like it. And you like it because you like him. Therefore, you should just tell him!"

"Sure, because that went well for you!" Harry just dropped his gaze to the floor, and his eyes became watery. "No! No, I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry! Me and my big mouth. When I dye, I'll need an extra coffin just to bury my mouth in!" She said that forcing his head up with a hand in his chin. Harry couldn't stop smiling at the last remark.

"Sure. Don't forget to order another one for your brain." He laughed a little bit, and, for the first time in a while, he could forget for a second about what happened.

But his peace of mind just wasn't meant to be. Sirius had just appeared inside the room, wearing black leather trousers and a blue shirt. His tall feature just screamed 'nobility!' and his gray eyes were looking around to see who was there. Until they locked with Harry's green ones. For a painful moment, it seemed like it was only them in the room. But, soon enough, Harry deviated from the gaze and went upstairs rather quickly. Hermione followed suit.

Reaching Ron's bedroom's closed door, she knocked and went in to see Harry. He had his face in his hands. She went to him and removed her hands. The face, however, did not show any sign of pain. It just showed an enormous sorrow. "Harry?"

"I'm- I'll be fine, Mione. It was just a little bit too much for me to handle. But I've figured it out. It's all gonna be fine."

The girl was confused. "Of course it will. So, let's get back down?"

Harry sighed. "Sure, why not?"

* * *

The evening went uneventful from that time forward, but neither Harry nor Sirius seemed to be too happy. And when midnight came, they were the only ones who didn't hug each other (except for Snape, but it was expected). Dumbledore appeared shortly after and started talking to Harry, Hermione and Bill about defensive spells. Meanwhile, Sirius and Remus were talking on the other side of the room. 

"Are you gonna tell me what's going on, Sirius?"

_He is good. I've been trying not to show._ "Me and Harry- We had an argument. Sort of..."

Remus waited a few seconds, but Sirius was remained quiet. "Yes..."

"Well, I can't talk about it here! Just come by my house tomorrow for lunch and we'll talk."

Remus' amber eyes narrowed, but he nodded. _This is big! What have you done now, Padfoot?_

* * *

After talking to Dumbledore, Harry looked for Fred or George, and, finding the latter, went to speak with him. 

"Hey George."

"Hey Harrykins! What's up?"

Harry had a pleading, but determined look. "I need a favor, no questions asked."

George seemed to think on it for a minute. "Sure thing! I mean, you gave us our starting loan, I owe you big time. Actually, **we** owe you big time, so next favor is on Fred, OK?"

Harry laughed and pointed upstairs. "Come with me."

"I just hope this is nothing dirty…" Harry just laughed some more.

* * *

The party only ended by 3 in the morning, and everyone went to bed. Harry, however, was up the next morning at 8 o'clock. All his things were stored in his trunk that now was the size of a ring box: George's doing, at his request, since he was still underage. He stored it at his pocket, got his coat and left the Burrow before anyone was up.

Already outside, he walked a little bit before taking out his wand and pointing it to his side. Quickly, a huge purple bus appeared out of nowhere. It's doors opened and Stan Shunpike appeared.

"Hey, 'arry, it's you!" Stan was beaming.

"Hullo, Stan." Harry had the money in his hand already and handed it to Stan as he entered. "I need you to take me to Diagon Alley."

* * *

NA: So, it's now a full-blown story! I decided to change it, instead of making a sequel. Let me know what you think. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **You know the drill, boys and girls!  
Thanks for your reviews, all of you!  
**bluerose24: **Thanks, it means a lot to me! Hope you like this chapter too!  
**Emerald-prongs-fan: **Thanks! I'll try to keep updating both my fics every weekend.  
**Big E 3 I LOVE NASCAR:** Thank you. I like Harry/Sirius too! (ok, that was obvious) I hope this chap. Keeps up with the rest of the story.  
**Mrs.Sniffy: **Yes, the two will probably have an... encounter next chap. But I can't say they will like it. And Remus will give Sirius a good scold, amongst other things. Thanks for enjoying!  
**ShadowHunter Mashell**I'm very glad you like it! And I do intend to write several more chapters, be sure of that!  
**Alexiel86**Oh! I'm so sorry I'm keeping a lot of your questions in the dark! But all will be answered (except the ending thing) in the next chapter. Thanks for sticking with me!  
**Krazi Kelli**I'm glad I made it a story too:)

Now to all of you: Sorry for not updating sooner! But I'm having classes in my 2 universities, both in the morning and in the evening, so I'm lacking time during the week. I hope this chapter makes up for it. And don't forget to read the N.A. in the end and answer the question there! Oh, and you guys! So many reviews… Have I told ya how wonderful you are?

* * *

**---III--- **

The Knight bus' ride was as bumpy as ever, and Harry Potter was more than relieved when they arrived, after two stops (one of them was in Scotland and the other just **had** to be in Cornwall!). He waved goodbye to Stan and entered the Leaky Cauldron.

The pub was relatively calm, and Harry didn't have to endure long stares when he entered, for a change. He walked to the counter, noticing that most witches and wizards weren't drinking heavy alcoholic drinks — only one person was drinking firewhisky, a trio was drinking butterbeer, and the rest was drinking pumpkin juice, having breakfast. It didn't take long to spot Tom behind the counter. When he spotted Harry, the man became extactic. By the time the youth got to him, he was thinking that the owner must have ripped his cheek to be able to grin so widely.

"Mr. Potter, It's a pleasure to see you here."

Harry smiled back. "It's nice to see you too, Tom. Erm... Do you think you can get me a room? I need to stay here for a few days." The brunet crossed his fingers behind his back, for this was pretty much the only place he thought of staying in, not having a backup plan.

Tom smile widened even more, and Harry wondered if he wasn't a metamorphmagus, being able to widen his lips at will. "But of course, Mr. Potter, of course. If I may say so, it has been quite a while since I had you here. Yes. I will allocate you the room you stayed in a few years ago. You do remember where it is, I assume," he said, handing the youth an old-looking, tarnished silvery key.

"Uhn- Sure I remember. But- Do you mind coming with me? I need you to engorge my trunk..."

"Well, of course. Come with me."

Harry followed the owner of the Leaky Cauldron to the assigned room, where he engorged his trunk with ease. Harry thanked him and paid him for this first day — a policy in the establishment — and lied down to sleep some more, considering the early hour he left the Weasleys. He was wondering about what would his friends think when they didn't found him when they woke up. Imagining now what would Mrs. Weasley say, he fell asleep.

* * *

Harry woke up slowly and painfully. When he finally opened his eyes, he realized he slept with his head over his left arm, which was now tingling and aching. The youth quickly removed his arm from under his head and started to open and close his hand, trying to restore the blood flow. Well, he didn't know if the 'blood flow' was reestablished or not, but the pain sure as hell wasn't going away. Cursing under his breath, he got up and walked slowly, sleepily towards the bathroom.

There, he washed his face and took a look at his watch: it was 10:30 AM. He only got a couple more hours sleep. Great! Now that he was up, he might as well take a walk on Diagon Alley. With that in his mind, he left the room.

While the raven-haired boy was in the corridor, his stomach growled, reminding him of how he didn't eat breakfast today. So, he simply went down and ordered a few toasts with jam to Tom, who was more than happy to comply. While he was eating, he felt an extra weight in his neck, and remembered he didn't take off the Sarah's chain. He couldn't help but feel depressed for his long lost friend. The youth missed her so much in times like that!

Harry felt his eyes stinging and forced back a couple of tears. He wouldn't cry now. Fred and George asked him to visit them today at their shop, probably trying to keep an eye for him. This time, Harry felt a shy smile forming in his lips. The twins had more of their mother in them than they thought.

* * *

Harry was walking lazily through the street, looking at the many shops of Diagon Alley every now and then. He stopped to take a look at Quality Quidditch Supplies, where he found (or, for a good observant, drooled over) the newest broomstick: the Blur, from the same manufacturers of Firebolt. The informative plaque says Ireland had already replaced their firebolts for new Blurs, which offered an increase of 10 of the top speed and 23.76 in acceleration. Apparently, the Ministry found the broom so dangerously fast that a special authorization was required to buy it! And its use was only allowed in sports like professional quidditch or broomstick race. The boy couldn't help but mutter a 'wow!'. At that he felt a hand on his shoulders and turned around startled.

"Yes, we know Harrykins! If the ministry is worrying about broomsticks instead of You-know-who, they really **are** thick!" Fred said with a mock-sad face.

"And now, would you tell us why are you looking at this nice broom instead of being at our lovely shop, admiring our flawless faces, beautiful bodies and-" George didn't get to finish his speech, since he got interrupted by another red-head.

"Are they bothering you, Harry? 'Cuz if they are, I'll be more than happy to hex them into oblivion," Charlie said, looking serious.

For a second, Harry stared wide-eyed at Charlie and then at the twins, who took a few steps backwards. "Uhn- yes... Harry, you see, Dumbledore asked us specifically if we knew were you went. And. Well-" Fred seemed a bit odd saying this.

"We couldn't lie to **Dumbledore**, right? So, we had to tell him. We- we are sorry." Now George looked certainly frightened.

Harry couldn't hide a grin. "Are you scared of me? Ho-ho! I wish I had a camera with me!"

Charlie chuckled too, which brought Fred to say, "You'd be scared too, if you saw what he can do at the D.A."

"You know, guys, I'm not gonna hex you. However, since you **were** bothering me, I think I'm taking Charlie up on his offer..." Fred and George were gone before Charlie could even start reaching his pocket. It was quite a while before both the young raven-haired hero and the older Weasley got to control their laughter.

* * *

"So, **are **you gonna tell me why you bolted?"

Harry and Charlie were now eating some ice cream at Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, after taking a rather long walk around the main magical street of London. Hearing the question, Harry's humor immediately took a downturn, and he refrained from answering because of a well-known lump in his throat.

Charlie, noticing that, paid Florean, got up and said, "We can talk about that later, I guess. Up for another walk?" Charlie was smiling gently, his white teeth shining against the afternoon sun.

"Sure," Harry answered and got up.

They took a long stroll, talking about quidditch and England's chances in the next World Cup, also discussing how long it would take for McGonnagall to finally set her mind on throwing Peeves out of the castle and even talking about how likely (and disgusting) it was for Mme. Pince and Filch to have an affair.

Harry was laughing a bit loud, and took a few moments to be able to speak. "Thanks a lot Charlie! It will take me years, if ever, to take the image out of my head! I mean, in a broom closet? And with Mrs. Norris watching? Now that's just sick!"

Charlie grinned too. "Hey, I already told you I'm not convinced that Mrs. Norris isn't just McGonnagall's animagus form!" Harry stuck a finger in his throat, pretending to throw up. Charlie's grin widened.

"Ok, now in a more serious matter, why are you here, Charlie?"

The Weasley seemed to think for a few moments, before answering carefully. "Well, my favorite twin brothers already told you they told Dumbledore about where you came. So, the headmaster asked me to- uhn-" Charlie seems quite embarrassed now.

Suddenly, understanding dawned on Harry's mind. "So, he asked you to watch over me?" Charlie nodded, warily. "It's alright, I'm not mad or anything. At least I have someone to have fun with!" With that, the older guy let out a sigh of relief. Harry came closer to him and put an arm around his shoulders. "I don't know about you, but my legs are starting to ache. What about we go back to my room at the Leaky Cauldron and play some chess or something?"

Charlie's grin turned into another one of his gentle smiles. "Sure. Can't wait to beat you, Hars," he said, putting his own arm around Harry's shoulder.

Harry looked at him mocked-indignantly. "First of all: Hars? Where did that one come from? Second: **You** beat **me**? Dream on!" Saying that, Harry noticed neither his nor Charlie's arm had to be too strained to be on each other's shoulders: they were both around the same height. Charlie was being a very good friend to Harry, who got to know a whole new side to the older Weasley. He made a decision at that moment. "And when we get at my room, I- I'll tell you why," the youth said laconically.

Charlie turned a bit towards Harry. "You'll tell me why..." And then it hit him: he would be told why Harry left the Burrow. He simply nodded, wrapping his arm tighter on Harry.

* * *

Remus apparated in the living room of Grimmauld Place around 2 o'clock in the afternoon. The house was a bit dusty, but still much better than when they decided to use it as headquarters for the order. He proceeded to look around for Sirius, but didn't find him anywhere. _Oh, I can't believe the mutt is still sleeping!_ Thinking that, he went to Sirius bedroom, where he found his friend sleeping in his boxers. He couldn't help but look at the well-defined chest and wonder if the effects of Azkaban were finally leaving the man.

The werewolf, deciding to follow a prankish line of thought, took his wand and conjured a bucket of cold water. He then murmured, "Sirius, wake up." Seeing that his friend didn't move he said, "Well, guess he didn't hear it. I have only one choice now..."

Grinning widely, he waved his wand and the bucket emptied itself on the animagus, who woke up cursing. "Oh, it's just you, you... How dare you use that kind of dark magic at me!"

"Dark magic? A bucket of water?"

"Anything that wakes me up before 4 in the afternoon is considered dark magic! Merlin, I'd think that sharing a room with me for over seven years would teach you that!" Sirius was feigning exasperation.

Remus decided it was time to get to the point. "Well, you said that I should come for lunch here, so we could talk..."

Sirius suddenly remembered that and the subject of the conversation. "Fine. Gimme 20 minutes for a shower and we'll eat."

"And talk." Remus tone didn't invite any argument over it.

"Yes. And talk."

* * *

**N.A.:** Another chapter done! Sorry for leaving so many questions open... Ok, now, my question: Should there be a sex scene next chapter? It will **not** be Sirius/Harry, obviously, but I think it would be good to the development and matureness of feelings of one of the characters. Tell me how you feel about it! Should I write it? Should there be no sex scene that doesn't involve both Sirius and Harry? Is it a stupid idea and I should throw myself of a bridge for having it? Ok, I'll shut up now, sine I'm drabbling...

_**Read & Review! **_


	4. Chapter 4

**Here's another chapter. I hope you like it. Well, the yes to the sex scene has won. I am sorry to all of you that didn't want one.**

**Xurtan: Well, there you have the scene. Thanks for reviewing.  
Big E 3 I LOVE NASCAR: Well I don't think I'm ready for a threesome here just yet :D  
Emerald-prongs-fan: Updated. thanks for the review.  
lovly elley: thanks.  
****Mrs. Sniffy: I'm so so so so so so sorry. Your opinion matters so much to me... Really, you almost made me not write the scene. But I thought that would be unfair to the majority that voted for the yes. Sorry!  
MagicalWinry: There you have! Thank you for the review.  
****lilsteves: I'm sorry, but the scene had to be Harry/Charlie... I hope you like it anyway, considering the way I built it. Besides, I'm gonna put a reason why they did it the next chapter. Thanks.  
Alexiel86: Well, a big chunk of the talk is here, but I will continue it next chapter. And Sirius will find out that he loves Harry too, don't worry!  
Princess-of-everything: Thank you very much! Unfotunately I just had to make a Harry/Charlie scene...  
CathrinMalfoy: Don't worry, I will continue. thanks.  
****Valkyrie Nienna Helyanwe: Well, I don't intend on changing the main pairing of this story, but Charlie won't end up alone, don't worry. Thanks for your review.**

**

* * *

**

**----IV----**

The room was not well lighten. Nor it was well furnished: the chairs were overstuffed, ragged and smelled of mould. An extremely worn Persian rug partially blocked the view of the cracked wooden floor, which creaked every time someone took a step. The centre table's glass was scratched and blotchy; the whole place exuded antiquity and nobility.

The air was thick, though Remus knew that that had no relation neither with the state, nor with the (so-called) aristocracy of the room. When he asked Sirius to talk to him, he thought that, as usual, his friend had screwed up something trivial and now didn't know how to fix it. But, upon seeing the black-haired man's expression, with no masks for the rest of the world, the lycanthrope realized how deep this unknown problem ran. Also realizing that Sirius needed some time to start talking, Remus stopped pressing him to.

All through lunch, silence reigned among them. This silence stretched and remained as they sat in one of Grimmauld Place's 'intimate' rooms. Many times Sirius would open his mouth as to speak, but no sound came out, and, the next moment, his lips were no longer parted. The sun was already setting, and Remus wondered how much longer he would have to wait.

Suddenly, the animagus sighed. "Alright, maybe I should just say it." Remus nodded gently, encouraging his friend to put it out. "Well, you see, there was this night. Errr… I was having a nightmare. So, I guess Harry heard me, and came into my room, saying he couldn't sleep and that we should sleep together as to stop my nightmares and make it easier for him to sleep.

"Well, I thought, no harm on that, and agreed. Then he lays on the bed and I- Errr- I kinda hold him. I think he took that as a sign or whatever. Then he just kisses me. What should I have done? I was paralysed. Anyway, he asked for us to talk only the next day, and we slept. When I wake up we talked. He asked me if I could ever love him. I- I said no."

Remus frowned and his expression hardened. "Oh. I understand. I… I'm speechless."

* * *

"… And then he said he could never love me." 

Charlie frowned and his expression hardened. "Oh. I understand. I… I'm speechless."

Harry's watery eyes widened. "Come on! You gotta have something to tell me."

The two youths were back in Harry's room, at the Leaky Cauldron. Harry was sitting in the bed, while Charlie occupied the only chair of the room.

"I really don't know, Harry. It's a messy situation, I'll give you that."

"Gee, thanks for the news," the youth said wryly.

Charlie looked puzzled at that. "Gee?"

Harry couldn't help but grin. "Sorry. Muggle thing. Anyway, after your **very** insightful view on that subject, what do you think I should do?"

"Well, right now, you should go downstairs with me for a nice dinner. My treat," the man said, not knowing the answer to Harry's question.

* * *

The moment they went back to Harry's room, there was electricity in the atmosphere. They had a very nice dinner, Charlie made a lot of jokes, forcing that 'I-wanna-cry' impulse to a corner of the boy's mind. 

Harry smiled. Charlie really knew how to make him forget. He was a very good friend. '_And he looks good!'_ Added a little voice in his head, one that every now and then said things like _'Forget Sirius!'_ or _'Go find a boyfriend that wants you!'_

Charlie smiled back, with butterflies in his stomach. _Merlin, what a smile!_ _Oh, and it comes with a body to match!_ His mouth became very dry, and he could notice every little detail of his brother's best friend: the lithe of his body, the lean muscles in his arms, the strong legs and the vivid eyes! It was all intoxicating. He couldn't think straight anymore. It must've been all those butterbeers, yes, that was it!

Meanwhile, Harry too, was suffering the effect of one butterbeer too many. It usually wasn't such a strong drink, so what the hell was the problem! Why did it feel like he gulped down a full cauldron of Mayan Aphrodisiac potion (which, according to Witch Weekly, was the most powerful aphrodisiac known in the Wizarding world)? What was with this lust within him!

Seeing his own desire reflected in Harry's eyes, Charlie advanced towards Harry like a lion to its prey. He always had a thing for the boy, but now, being with him for some time, it seemed to have exploded into a drowning wave of raw lust. So he did the only thing he could: he caressed Harry's face with his strong, large hands, and crushed their lips together.

It was a needy kiss, and it sent all of his blood into his groin — or at least that portion of his blood that wasn't already there to begin with. He could feel that Harry reacted the same way, their hard-ons touching and battling in a sword-duelling manner. Charlie couldn't believe he was kissing his brother's best friend, the boy he had a few wet dreams about just for looking at his picture when Ron sent it to him, a couple of years ago.

Charlie was surprised to feel Harry cupping his ass cheeks with one hand, while the other travelled back and forth, caressing his back in an excruciatingly sexy way. But when the boys tongue slipped into the older man's mouth, Charlie stopped thinking altogether. Putting the strength of his toned muscles (result of dealing with dragons for years) to use he literally tore down Harry's shirt, and, with an impulse from his legs, both Harry and himself were thrown into bed.

The strong man kept kissing the youth, while trying and getting rid of their pants. When they broke their kiss to breath, they were both in their underwear — Harry was wearing blue boxers with a snitch pattern (Dobby's present for his birthday) and Charlie was wearing read briefs, with a small moving dragon printed in the front-right corner — and both of them had sprung obvious wet tents.

After a few moments of Harry admiring Charlie's bulky, marred and tanned body and Charlie admiring Harry's lean muscles and pale pinkish skin, the youth suddenly pushed the man to a side and rolled over him, using his strong-yet-lean arms to hover above the red-head. The latter thought that the boy changed his mind and started kicking himself for making a move on the beautiful youth in the first place. But his mind became silent again when Harry looked at him lustfully and crushed their lips together, right before doing the same with their hips. Charlie almost screamed in pleasure as his sticky member came into almost contact with Harry's and wondered if he would be able to hold his release when the same happened without the thin layers of fabric between them.

Noticing Charlie's line of thought, Harry just kept his hips immobile, while also softening their kiss, moving his tongue slower and more innocently inside the red-head's mouth. It was amazing really, how it seemed that Harry, an absolutely inexperienced boy, took absolute control of the situation in bed, how he could read Charlie's body language easily enough to know when to slow down and when to resume ravishing his partner. Although in Charlie's word that sentence was transformed into "_Wow, he's a fireball in bed!_".

And, to prove the point, feeling the older man relax, he proceeded to remove the offending underwear of their bodies, while kissing and sucking the neck bellow him at the pulse point, being rewarded with loud moans and a few throbs felt in his lower body.

Delicately lifting Charlie's legs, he slipped a finger between the older man's buttocks and started massaging around his opening. It was slow and gentle first, the massage being restricted to the ring of muscle itself. But as soon as the raven-haired gryffindor's finger slipped inside, Charlie moaned again, and Harry couldn't help but establish a frantic rhythm, allowing another finger to enter the red-head's body. When he found the Charlie was relaxed enough, he took a vial of oil (he was lucky that there was potion that required simple olive oil, the boy definitely would have stopped if he had to use devil's snare oil or something equally disgusting) that was laid on top of his trunk and poured some of it in his hands, proceeding to rub it at his pulsating cock.

With the little self-control he had left, he looked at Charlie's face questioning, asking permission.

"Inside, NOW!" was the encouraging answer he received.

Grinning the boy — no, the **man** — started entering Charlie's body slowly, while his left hand caressed the older man's chest, stopping every now and then to pinch a nipple and his right hand stroked the Weasley's leaking member.

Finally, he found himself completely sheathed inside Charlie, his cock pressing against what he was certain was the man's prostate. Sure enough, after a rather loud scream, Charlie's cock began throbbing and let out five spurts of cum.

"Oh, Merlin! Fuck! Sorry, Harry, I came too soo- ahhhh…" The red-head couldn't speak anymore as Harry began rocking inside of him, making sure to hit the tender point as often as he could. Soon, he reached a frantic rhythm and couldn't find out if the moans that were echoing in the room were his, Charlie's or from both. He wouldn't be able to hold for long, but so did Charlie, he knew.

And then all the world dissolved into stars and all he could feel was Charlie clamping him in his second release and his own member throbbing, letting out his cum in wave after wave of his orgasms. He knew however, that Charlie, sweet Charlie, was nowhere near his mind when he came. It was Sirius. It was Sirius... For that second, that blissful second, he was inside Sirius, pleasing the man he loved so much.

Yes. Harry discovered why people turned to anonymous sex when they were down. Because for that fraction of second, everything in the world was right and in place.

"Sirius," was what he screamed when he came. Charlie screamed another name at the same time, so none was able to hear what the other said.

* * *

"I'm so sorry Sirius!" Remus said, sad. 

"Not your fault, I suppose."

Sirius looked utterly dejected, but still Remus decided to speak his mind. His friend deserved at least that much. "Padfoot, the answer to your problem is really quite simple… Do you love Harry?"

The blue-eyed man's face turned into a scowl. "Of course I love Harry, he is my godson, Prong's son."

"Merlin, how much thicker can you get! I meant if you are **in **love with Harry, mutt!" Remus said exasperated.

The animagus was now nervous. "Erm… Why-Why is knowing that the answer t-to my problem?"

"Well, Siri, that is why Harry bolted. It's amazing how you have absolutely no idea what it's like to love someone who doesn't love you back. Deep down you are still your Hogwarts self, the gorgeous guy that could have anyone he wanted." Seeing Sirius opening his mouth to answer, the werewolf put his hand on his shoulder. "I know it's not your fault. But it **is** the way things are. Since you don't know, I'll try to explain how Harry must be feeling.

"He feels like there is nothing left for him in this world. Like nothing could ever be right again, like life itself is not worthy anymore. He is seeing all his mistakes and flaws and thinking that's why you don't want him. He can't see anymore the wonderful person who is brave and loyal, who would gladly die for his friends," he finished, giving Sirius his 'Do-you-understand-now-?' look.

"But he is all of that," Sirius protested. "He is all of that and more! And I need him. He is one of the few things I've got left," he finished with a small voice.

Upon this, the lycanthrope seated beside Sirius and hugged him with one arm, brotherly. "I know. But you can't force Harry to suffer by being with you. It's excruciating, being with the guy you love and, yet, not being able to really touch him. Because as long as you're with him, you will not be able to move on."

Remus said this so depressively that Sirius couldn't help but ask "Who?"

The tawny-haired man simply said "James."

* * *

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	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: **I** don't own, **you** don't sue.

**A/N:** I am soooo sorry! Life kinda happened to me these last weeks, so I couldn't update either of my stories. And to be fair this is a crappy, crappy, small update. I was supposed to advance more with this chapter, but I didn't want to keep you waiting, so here it is. I hope you don't completely hate it or me. But, in my defense, I do live in São Paulo (if you took a look at the international news lately you know what I mean).

**lovly elley**: here it is, dear!

**Krazi Kelly:** Yes, you are right! Oh, and Charlie pretended Harry was someone else too! Just to add to your confusion... Thanks for reviewing and sorry to confuse you...

**Mrs. Sniffy**: I am sorry for this little update. I took a long time and it is small and don't advance too much in the story. And for me being evil, I use the old excuse: Voldie used Imperius on me. Yes. That can bail me out, can't it? (takes a look around and see everybody with murderous looks) Well, maybe not...

**lilsteves**: Thank you very much! I hope this can clarify a bit more the Harry/Charlie.

**Alexiel86**: Thank you! There is an awful lot going on, I know. Oh, and I don't think there is gonna be a sad ending, we have enough of those in real life.

**PervyMonk:** Thank you for your review and Thank you for putting this in your C2. Well, I am sure I wasn't brilliant, but I am quite satisfied with the Harry/Charlie scene. Don't worry, I will finish writing this. Thanks again.

Oh, and I would like to thank everyone who added me to their C2!

**-----V-----**

His head hurt. It really did. His memory was foggy, and the light that was seeping through the curtains were burning through his eyes. He felt something against his back. Something warm. Or, more correctly, **someone** warm. Harry opened his eyes slowly, trying his best to allow them to get accustomed to the morning light. He looked down to see a strong arm around his waist.

Then, the prior night came crashing down on him. He couldn't help but groan., and felt the arms around him moving in response. Charlie ought to be waking as well. Harry waited a few moments more before hearing the same groan he emitted coming from Charlie's mouth, at the same time as the red-head's arms left his waist.

"Oh no! Nononono... I'm so sorry Harry. I don't-" Charlie buried his head on his hands, muffling all the sounds coming from his mouth.

"It's okay. It's not like I shouldn't be blamed too," Harry said, awkwardly patting his best friend's brother's back.

It took some time for Charlie to actually calm down. When he did, he thanked Harry and asked if he could go take a shower, to what Harry promptly agreed. As Charlie was in the bathroom, the raven-haired man kept thinking about how he had actually felt drowsy that night. Like most of it was a dream. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear Charlie come in wearing only a towel around his waist.

"Sorry, I forgot to take some fresh clothes to the bathroom," the older man said, as his cheeks heated enough to rival with a muggle electrical oven. However, the blush somewhat faded when Harry whipped his head towards the man, making clear that he didn't actually noticed the state of his clothing to that moment.

"You just proved my theory! Thanks, Charlie," Harry said with enthusiasm.

"Theory?" Charlie asked with suspicion. Well, the younger gryffindor couldn't really blame him, he **did**, after all, spent part of his childhood with Gred and Forge. I mean, Fred and George. (A/N: hehehe, poor Charlie's head isn't working very well...)

"Yes," Harry replied. "I am definitely not feeling like having wild sex with you right now."

"Should I be insulted?"

"No, 's not that. It's just that- well, that is how I felt last night, like I started having these thoughts about you, and, next thing I knew, I had to have you. And you are wearing just a towel, so..."

"Yeah, I know; that's how I felt too," Charlie said, focused on remembering the... event.

"Erm. So, if it's not asking too much, would you- errr- you know... maybe just drop the towel, just a little bit?" Harry asked, blushing.

Charlie sighed dramatically. "Oh, you know me, all for the good of science!" And he dropped the towel.

"Okay, so, maybe now I might want to screw you just a little bit," the green-eyed teen said, showing small space between his index finger and toe of the right hand. "But not like last night, no. And that proves another of my points, so, thanks again."

"Care to elaborate, my dear Ravenclaw?" Charlie said grinning, while he put some underwear to cover himself.

"I resent that, Michael Corner is a Ravenclaw and I couldn't possibly live with being in the same house as himself. Now, about my other theory, I was wondering if I was gay or if it was just Sirius."

"Soooo?" Charlie, said, curiosity flared up.

"Definitely gay. **Most** definitely gay. Actually, I think I should get a prize just for not ravishing you when you dropped the towel." Hearing that, Charlie, who was in the process of zipping his pants, glared wide-eyed and open-mouthed. "Oh, relax, would you. I **was** just joking. I think of you as a brother, dumb ass. A very good looking brother, I might add," at that Charlie glared again. "But a brother nonetheless."

"Same here. So, what happened last night? Because that was as far from brotherly as it gets."

"D'you reckon it could be a love potion or something like that?" Harry asked, expressing his previous thought. "Last night I felt- I don't know. Drowsy, would be the best word, I guess. Like it was more dream than reality."

"I know. And this is certainly the worst hangover I ever got, and we didn't even drink that much. But, no problem. I'll go get a book at my office in the British Association for the Welfare of Dragons and Fire-lizards and will be right back. Go get some breakfast for us and meet me here in fifteen minutes, alright?" Without waiting for an answer Charlie disapparated with a pop. Harry didn't even had time to warn Charlie that his shirt was stained with... Well, let's just say that the shirt was apparently left in the bed while they were... _Oh, bollocks! Better go take a shower and stop thinking about it!_ But he couldn't help grinning as he got into the bathroom.

-------------------------------/-/----------------------------------

"Remus," Sirius murmured to his best friend lying on his shoulders.

Last night was hard on both of them. Remus told Sirius all about his history with James, including a heated kiss in the sixth year and some 'experiments' in the seventh. Also including the break-up, James choosing Lily and James and Lily getting married. In the end Remus was crying on Sirius' shoulder, while Sirius couldn't help but shed a few tears both in sympathy for his friend and also for his own messy situation, where he could very well loose all contact with Harry. Apparently, they cried themselves to sleep.

The werewolf looked up sleepily and grinned, muttering a quick "sorry" before getting up from the couch.

"What for?"

Remus smiled again. "For making you my pillow. Well, I should go. Think carefully about your situation, alright. And **do** tell me what you decide to do," and the man turned to leave.

"Wait Remus!" Sirius interrupted. "Do you- I mean... Are you over James? Are you with someone?"

Remus turned to face his friend and his face opened up in a huge smile. He winked to the black-haired man and disapparated with a pop.

-------

_**Read & Review!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's another update for you. Moving along with the story now, hopefully... Oh, and as you (will) see, I didn't just forget Sarah!**

**lovly elley: Sirius might be starting to realize how much he actually likes his godson, yes. And both Harry and Charlie will have to find a way to tell Remus, who is quite over James, though it must've taken him a while. Thanks for the review!**

**Krazi Kelly: Err- Well- You see... this also ignores that little detail of HBP, at least on Remus and Tonks dating. Guess I forgot to say that. :blushes: Thank you for the review.**

**lilsteves: Well, Remy's secret is out! And, Charlie... well, poor Charlie! I guess he's gonna be mocked at work for a VERY long time. But I'd take that anytime compared to Fred and George's punishment. I hope you like this!**

**LeT mE eScApe: Well, you were quite right! Unfortunately, all I can offer you are imaginary cookies... Bah, they're not that good anyway! Thanks for the review.**

**EsScaper: Thank you! As you must've noticed this was supposed to be a sad one-shot, but I will probably put a sappy happy ending... But I'm not sure yet, there's still a lot to this story. Thank you for reviewing.**

**So, there you go! Enjoy!**

**------VI------**

"You better be drowning yourself in there, cuz I'll kill you anyway when you leave!" the loud voice reverberated through the bathroom, coming from outside the closed door. Steam was pouring from the shower stall, where a naked Harry Potter was parked, just letting the water stream down his body, cleaning, no, cleansing him, relaxing him. All the screaming coming from Charlie, of course, brought him out from his trance.

"Oh, but why would you do that, darling?" Harry said, in the most innocent voice he could muster.

"Want me to remind you?" by this point Harry had got out of the shower and was drying himself in a fluffy towel. "Well, you neglected to inform me that the bloody shirt I was wearing had a fucking cum stain on it! Does that ring a bell?" he added, wryly.

"It might" the teen wrapped the towel around his waist. "Be so kind to tell me why I would kill all my fun, too" and he opened the door, water dripping from his chest.

Charlie stared for a moment, but quickly blushed and turned around from Harry's quirking eyebrow. He, despite all that, was able to pick up, albeit only after a few calming seconds. "Because then I wouldn't be subjected to the ridicule, maybe?"

"It was all **your **fault, so I don't know why you're complaining..."

"**My **fault?" Charlie said indignantly.

"Think a little." Harry said with fake exasperation.

"What are you on a-" Suddenly, it hit him. Harry was topping. The Weasley blushed so much Harry had trouble distinguishing skin and hair.

"Oh, for the love of God! We had sex Charlie! Deal with it!" the youth cried, this time with real exasperation in his voice. The effect, however, was lost when he squeezed the redhead's shoulder reassuringly. "Care to move so I can access my trunk." Charlie quickly moved away from the chest.

Harry bent and picked up some clothes, piling them in his arms and returning to the bathroom to get dressed. Once he closed the bathroom door, he asked loudly, "So, what did you went to do in the English Centre for Dragon Care?"

"It's British Association for the Welfare of Dragons and Fire-lizards!" Charlie blurted angrily, in a Hermionily manner. "And I actually went to fetch this potions book. There is a spell here that should point to us whether we drank any potions in the last two days and, if the potion was taken less than 36 hours prior, it should also point exactly which potion was taken."

"Brilliant!" Harry said, stepping out of the bathroom wearing a worn pair of jeans and a nice dark green T-shirt. "Well, what are we waiting for?"

"Ok," Charlie said, producing his wand out of nowhere. "_Qui serum est?_" Charlie said the spell, with the right questioning intonation. Harry glowed for a bit, but nothing happened otherwise. The gryffindor opened his mouth to protest, but Charlie quickly spoke, "Here hold the book."

Harry took the book and was shocked when the pages started to turn automatically. The next thing to happen was the book speaking, loud and clear, to a wide-eyed Harry "_Cantonese Oyster Aphrodisiac Potion_". Charlie repeated the process with himself, reaching the same result.

There was an awkward silence in the air, until Harry noted redness finding its way into Charlie's cheeks. "Charlie? What is it?"

"I'm gonna kill Fred and George!" he said angrily, the redness subsiding in his cheek, but spreading through his ears.

"What?" the green-eyed teen asked, puzzled.

"They did this! I remember looking at a box in their shop yesterday with 'Oriental Mystique – Eastern Potions' written in it! I'm gonna strangle them!" Charlie started shaking by now.

Harry, however, appeared to have a better idea. "Oh, they are gonna pay! But they're gonna pay in a way they never, ever will forget!"

Charlie took a step back, seeing the youth's eyes shimmering with anger and mischief. "H-Harry? I **was** just joking about killing them, you know?"

"Oh, I know… But they didn't count on me knowing the inner working of their business. You'll see! First, we need to pass by the Apothecary, then …

----------------------------------/----------------------------

"I had no idea you were so good with Potions, Harry!" Charlie said, giggling.

"My grades are bad because of Snape," he said. "Oh, but the things that can be done with bubotuber pus…" he added dreamily.

"But how will they know it was us who messed up with their soap?"

"Well, I'm glad you asked. It was rather clever of my, if I may say so," Harry responded, with a fake Dumbledore voice. "Do you know the usual antidote for bubotuber pus?" the teen asked innocently.

"Magical bean's oil?"

"Yes. You see, that particular substance has an unusual effect, combined with the potion we added to their soap. So, to answer your first question, I'm sure the boils that will form across their asses spelling 'Courtesy of Harry and Charlie' after they try to heal the other boils that will have formed throughout their bodies will do the trick. Oh, and have I added that they might just be visiting St. Mungo's with a nasty case of haemorrhoids?"

It took quite a while for the pair to stop laughing.

---------------------------------/-----------------------------------

Sirius was still thinking on who could be Remus' boyfriend when the living room's fireplace was lit with green fire and Molly Weasley stood shaking the soot out of her worn clothes.

"Hello, Sirius," she greeted, lukewarmly.

"It's- err… Nice to see you, Molly. Is there anything I can do for you?" was the overpolite response. It was no secret that Sirius and Molly were never on good terms.

"Well. Yes. I was talking to Ron about Harry's suddenly leaving my house, and-" she started, but was interrupted.

"Wait a sec! Harry's left the Burrow? You were supposed to take care of him! How dare you let him esc-" Sirius was furious, but it was his turn to be cut off.

"How dare **I**? Well, you didn't do a good job, did you, or he would still be here! And it wasn't my fault that he decided to bolt at the break of dawn! How was I supposed to stop him!" the Weasley matriarch returned. "Or maybe I shouldn't sleep everytime there's someone home and, instead staying on guard by the front door!" she added, sarcastically.

Sirius remained silent for a few seconds, before he asked, "Where is he?"

"He's at Diagonal Alley. Charlie's looking after him, so there's no need to worry. But I did ask Ron, as I was saying, about this… situation. He said I should ask you. So, I'm asking! What do you know?"

Sirius was luckily saved by a voice coming from the room's hearth.

"Molly, there's been an attack on Manchester! Bill had to go, so you need to watch the kids." Arthur Weasley spoke in a rushed voice.

"Alright, dear," she turned to Sirius, pointing her index finger. "This is **not **over!" and she was gone.

In the moment the fire turned its usual red color Sirius started swearing out loud. "Diagon Alley! And with Charlie Weasley. I mean, the guy is crazy, working with dragons and all! If he touches Harry, I'm going to personally-"

"What?" Remus voice sounded angry, coming from the fireplace.

_Oh, for the love of Merlin, people need to stop flooing in whenever they feel like!_ "It's nothing Remus. I- I'm just frustrated."

"And a little jealous!" Remus replied, smirking. "Anyway, you are not in any way to even think about hurting my boyfriend!" and, as usual after dropping a bomb, the werewolf was gone, leaving Sirius open-mouthed for a good half hour.

-------------------------/---------------------------

Harry and Charlie made their way back to the room still grinning like madmen at their revenge. They had a nice dinner, with Charlie telling Harry all about dragon's magical properties and a friend that had to move because his inner magic was having an annoying (and quite deadly) effect on the Congolese Yellowhorns. That triggered the teen to talk about Sarah and how she was his only friend. The redhead, seeing Harry's mood taking a downturn brought up their recent prank, reason of the grins stamped into their faces.

So, it is quite imaginable the surprise they had when, opening the door to the room, a voice spoke quietly, but clearly at them.

"Hello there."

------------------------------------/---------------------------------

**A/N: Another cliffhanger! Don't worry, it's nothing bad! Hope you liked it! R&R.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: How long has it been since I put a disclaimer? Yeah, I was just keeping the depressive thoughts away… But I don't own Harry Potter… Nor any of the characters… Well, except for Sarah. But she isn't appearing that much, is she?**

**lilsteves: The affair thing will really be a problem, at least for Harry. Thanks for the review!**

**Emerald-prongs-fan: I know, but I'm evil in that way… Well, fine, if you insist, no cliffies in this chapter. Thanks for reviewing**

**MagicalWinry: Thank you for the review. And, no, not Sirius. Although I did wanted you to believe that ;)**

**EsScaper: I still haven't decided on how Remus will see the 'cheating' episode… But I think he will be ok with it. The problem is if Harry will be ok with it. Thank you for reviewing.**

**Krazy Kelly: Well, good news is I decided there wasn't gonna be a cliffhanger on this chapter. Bad news is: Charlie really isn't bi. Thanks for reviewing.**

**Intergalactic smart-ass: I'm glad I could surprise you! Thanks for the review.**

**TiffanyX: I'm so glad you liked my story! Especially if you don't usually read slash! I almost blew up with excitement after I read this review. Thank you!**

**FluffySmarts: Not Remus or Sirius. Just an old coot. Thanks for the review!**

**--------VII-------**

Harry's emerald eyes locked with bright blue ones as they widened. He was speechless, so Charlie was the first one to say anything.

"Good evening, professor. It's- a surprise to see you."

"Well, Charles, I heard, of course, that Harry had left — for the lack of a better word — the Burrow. Since it is just Hogwarts' Winter vacations, students are allowed to stay in. Harry's place is there," Dumbledore's voice was soft and steady when he answered.

"Thanks for coming to get me, sir," Harry replied. "I'd really like to return to Hogwarts." _Or, as I like to call it, home._

Charlie smiled. Maybe going back to Hogwarts was what the gryffindor needed. At least he hoped so.

"Very well, then. Unfortunately, I have business to attend to at the Ministry, here in London." The headmaster took a sock out of one of his robe's inner pockets and pointed his wand at it. "_Portus!_ In a few seconds this sock will turn into a portkey to the Gryffindor common room," he said, putting the object on the table. "I suggest you get your things packed as quickly as possible, I'd like you to sleep at Hogwarts tonight." Harry nodded. "Charles, can you go with Harry? There's no one else staying at school from Gryffindor, and I think Harry can use the company. Tomorrow I will talk to you about your new assignment for the Order." It was the Weasley's time to nod. "I'll be going then! Good night to you Charlie! It was vary nice seeing you again Harry!" And, with a swoosh of cloth, he disapparated.

Harry looked at Charlie apprehensively. The red-head just smiled kindly. "Well, you heard the old man: let's get you packed!" And so Harry did, picking up some T-shirts he put in one of the drawers of the room's chiffoniers. When his eyes set on a Charlie sitting on the bed, they narrowed.

"A hand, please?"

"Oh! Alright," he answered, getting up and taking a handful of socks from another drawer.

Harry just put his face in his hands and muttered something to himself before swearing loudly. "For fuck's sake! You're a wizard! That stick you carry isn't there for you to compare its size with your friends!"

"Oh... yeah. Sorry," the replied came, in an embarrassed tone. "_Pack!_" he said, quickly moving out of the way as all sorts of clothes started to orderly folding themselves and flying towards Harry's trunk. When said trunk was filled and closed, he extended his hand to Harry. "Shall we?"

Harry's eyes once again narrowed. "Sure, leave the trunk for me to carry!" But he had a smile in his lips.

----------------------------------------/----------------------------------------

Bloody hell, he could kill whoever decided that swirl holding tightly to an object was a good mean of transportation! When Harry finally put his feet back in solid ground he had to take a moment just to control his nauseousness and another to regain his balance.

"Hehe, you don't like portkeys very much, do you?" Charlie asked, laughing.

"You take that smile of your face, or I'll make my personal objective to puke on it!" was Harry's ill-tempered reply. He tried to take a step forward, but couldn't keep his balance and started to fall backwards, until he came into contact with something solid.

"Easy 'Arry! Yer not drunk are ya? I must be settin' a bad example heh... Hi Charlie!"

"Hey Hagrid! What're you doing in the common room?" Charlie greeted.

"I am _not_ drunk!"

"Oh, the 'eadmaster told me to be here for when you came. Jut to be sure, ye' know?"

"I _am not drunk!_ It was the portkey!"

"Thanks Hagrid! Good night!"

" 'd Night!"

"I AM NOT DRUNK!" But Hagrid was already gone. However, not too gone not to be able to say behind the Fat Lady, for Harry to take a cold shower and a 'cup o' coffee'. Charlie laugh was silenced by Harry's look.

They remained in silence for many minutes, the fire in the common room's hearth warming them, bringing some very nice memories for Charlie. Harry was the one to break the silence.

"Charlie," he begun, tentatively. "Can I ask you something?" the raven-haired teen asked.

Charlie was taken aback a bit by Harry's uneasiness, so he tried to muster all his support in his voice. "Of course Harry. You're like my brother, right?" he added, remembering their morning-after conversation.

"Err- Whatnamedidyousay?" Harry said in a very low voice.

Charlie shook his head and looked back at the gryffindor. "Excuse me?"

"What name did you say?" Seeing the confused look on the Weasley's face, he noticed that outside his line of thought the question made no sense at all. "I mean yesterday when you... well, you err- said someone's name."

Charlie opened his mouth and then closed it. _So Harry heard me._ He and Remus were planning on telling people only after a few more months, but how could he deny this sweet guy an answer, when he was so unsure of himself, so unsure he even had the right to be asking his putative brother a personal question?

So, the red-head took a deep breath and answered, "Remus. I said Remus. We've been together for a few months now."

Harry's eyes widened and his lips parted slightly to take in a heavy breath. He remained completely still for many minutes, his rising chest the only indication that he was alive. Eventually, he gulped down a the lump in his throat and said, "I think I'm going to bed. Good night." He didn't even wait for an answer, nor did he look back. He just miserably and slowly climbed the stairs to the sixth year dorm.

Charlie didn't know what to think. Was Harry disgusted by his relationship with Remus? Did the teen fell in love with him? Did he fell for Remus? But then, what about Sirius? The red-head decided to leave the questions for tomorrow and headed for his old bed, in what was now the fourth year dorm. Luckily, Dumbledore was correct in his assessment that they would be the only people in the Gryffindor tower.

----------------------------------------/----------------------------------------

Sirius didn't know how long he just stood in front of Harry's room in Grimmauld place, looking at the worn black curtains of the four-poster bed. Harry had left only a few days ago, and yet, it felt like a lifetime. The house, that was already bad enough with him there, had taken a sharp downturn, now that the teen had left.

And Harry was with that bloody Weasley! _Calm down! Think about something el-_

"Hey Sirius!"

Sirius turned around startled to see his favorite werewolf standing at the end of the stairway. "Hullo. Something wrong?" he asked, seeing the look on Remus face.

"The attack on Manchester was pretty ugly. 3 muggles died, and Bill was seriously injured. We were able to capture a Death Eater," here Remus took a deep breath, "Before handing him to the aurors we interrogated him under _Veritaserum_. He told us about a few of Voldemort's plans. One is about an attack against Diagon Alley. Another against Hogsmeade. And…"

Remus took a few moments, leaving his friend apprehensive. "What? Oh, Merlin, Harry!"

"Yes. Though he didn't say much about this one. We will be able to prevent the other two, or, at least, so says Dumbledore," Remus finished tiredly.

"Any plan to protect Harry?"

"Dumbledore said he'd come up with something by the next meeting. Right now, he is meeting Charlie and Harry at Diagon Alley, telling them to go to Hogwarts. Voldemort isn't strong enough to attack there," Remus replied, blushing when he remembered that he just dropped on Sirius the news of his new relationship.

"Oh, yes, Charlie. Care to elaborate on that thought?" Sirius asked, wryly.

"There isn't much to elaborate. We got together a few months ago. I was on a mission in Eastern Europe, to contact the werewolves there and see if Voldemort was trying to gather their support. When I stopped at Romania, I stayed at Charlie's and we just… clicked," Remus said, his blush deepening in the end.

Sirius approached his friend and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Is he good to you?" he asked, earnestly.

Remus smiled. "Yes. Very good. He actually made his new life objective to learn how to brew Wolfsbane. I… I think I love him," he continued, earnestly as well.

"Good for you! Finally you got over with the whole 'I'm meant to be alone' thing you had going," the animagus said, playfully. "I hope he and Harry are alright…"

Seeing his friend's longing face, Remus couldn't refrain from asking, "You miss him, don't you?"

"More than I thought possible," Sirius answered, sadly.

"You hurt him," Remus affirmed.

"I did," Sirius nodded.

"With the truth?"

"What do you mean?" the black-haired wizard said, startled.

"I mean, when you hurt him, did you use the truth? Or what you said isn't truth?" Remus clarified.

"I thought it was truth at the time. Now… I'm not so sure," Sirius replied, truthfully. "I'm not sure of anything right now," he added, putting his hands on his face.

Remus put his arms around his friend, supportively. "Figure it out, Sirius. Your happiness might very well depend on it. Now, let's have dinner,"

And so they went.

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**A/N: Finally! With my test weeks over, I can update! Did this last dialogue between Sirius and Remus made any sense? Well, I hope it did! Please, Read and Review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Damn it! Why do I have to get a writer's block exactly when I have time to write? So, I know this is very, very small, but it is the best I was able to do… I'm so sorry.**

**Save-A-Broom-Ride-A-Chaser, Krazi Kelly, lovly elley, Fluffy Smarts and Princess Sofia: Thank you so much for the reviews, and I'd like to apologize again for the delay, especially for you guys!**

**On with the story:**

**--------VIII--------**

How could he have been so careless! So... God, there wasn't even a word to describe it! Charlie and Remus were an item, and now... Now, there it was. He betrayed Remus. His teacher, his friend, his mentor, his **family**! What could he do?

The previous night was possibly the second worst moment of Harry's life as he could remember (we all know what the first one was). When he arrived at the room he was just so damn tired. Tired of it all. Tired of his paradigm. Tired of life. In the very moment he laid in his bed he fell asleep. Only, of course, to wake up in the early morning. And to make matters worse, Charlie was sitting in Ron's bed, waiting for him to wake up. So after catching up with himself and a little berating session that we saw earlier, the gryffindor sat up and opened his eyes warily.

Charlie didn't keep him waiting. "Why did you ran off? Do you not like me and Remus being together?"

Harry sighed. "Not at all. You- I... Why, Charlie? Why did this have to happen?" Seeing the bewildered look on the red-head, he continued, "We had sex! You cheated on Remus **with me**! How- can he ever look at me again?" The raven-haired teen was by now shaking slightly.

Charlie looked a little relieved by Harry's statement. "I understand, Harry, but-"

He didn't get to finish his sentence because of an enraged Harry. "**Excuse me**? You understand? Did you actually just betrayed the last piece of family you have left? Remus was... almost like a father to me. And now I've lost him. So don't you **dare**..." The green-eyed youth took a sharp intake of breath, trying to control his feelings. Then he turned to Charlie and said, "Get out, Charlie! You're only making it worse."

The Weasley didn't have the courage to remain in the room when Harry just asked him to leave with that voice, so filled of misery. He also realized that there was only one person who could set this straight. He left and silently shut the door.

--------------

Charlie was halfway out of the portrait hole when he ran into Dumbledore.

"Good morning, Charles," Dumbledore said gravely.

"Headmaster," Charlie acknowledge him with a nod.

"I'm afraid I have bad news. There was an attack on Manchester yesterday. A few people died. And Bill was injured," the old man said, worn.

The Weasley's eyes widened. "What? How?" He took a calming breath and asked, "Where is he?"

The headmaster looked at him pitifully. "We were able to arrange him a private room at St. Mungos. I can take you there," he added, already pulling something out of his pocket.

Charlie simply said, "Let's go" and grabbed the roll of gaze the old man produced.

Nodding, Dumbledore murmured "_Portus_" and they were on their way.

----------

The room where Bill was staying didn't transmit a good vibe, Charlie decided. Its hardwood floor was dark, and exuded a sweet smell. Brazilian rosewood, the Weasley concluded, having a friend whose wand was made of the material. The walls were painted in a dark red color that gave Charlie the creeps: it was the color of most dragon's blood. In the plain white ceiling there were very few candles, which was understandable, given the big window facing the door. It was, however, a rather small room, with a bed, an armchair that could clearly be turned into a bed, a couple of chairs and a table.

And, of course, a bed. Where his brother was lying right now. With a few steps, Charlie reached his side and quickly held Bill's hand. They were warm. Certainly a good sign. Suddenly, someone laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey dear. The healers said he's gonna be OK," Remus said, to quell his boyfriend's obvious distress.

"Thank Merlin!" Charlie answered relieved, burying his head on Remus's shoulder, and allowing a few relief tears to seep through his eyes.

"Shh," the lycanthrope soothed him. "All is well." God, but he missed having his Charlie in his arms!

The red-head sniffed. "I know." He moved his head from Remus's shoulder and brushed away the tears. "It's just... overwhelming, you know? You never think it's gonna happen to your family, and then..." he took a deep breath. "Well. It's over now."

Remus nodded tenderly. "Yes, it is."

They remained in silence for a few moments, drinking in each other's presence and warmth, Remus's head resting in Charlie's shoulder and Charlie's face buried in Remus's hair.

Eventually the Weasley said, "We need to talk," very gravely, so Remus was both curious and a bit worried.

"Of course. What's the matter?" he answered, giving an encouraging smile.

"It's about Harry. Fred and George-" he kept his mouth opened, not knowing how to explain. "Merlin, Remus, I'm so sorry. It shouldn't have happened. It should never have happened."

By now Remus worry had swelled considerably. "Just start at the beginning, love."

Charlie gave him a look full of sorrow before nodding. "Fred and George decided it would be funny to... to..." here he took an exasperated breath. "Well, to put a love potion in mine and Harry's drinks. We were feeling a bit off before we climbed up to our rooms at Diagon Alley, but we shrugged it. But then... I- I s'pose you can guess the rest."

Remus was literally staring at him with his mouth opened. But Charlie's miserable look brought him back. He quickly wrapped his arms around his boyfriend's chest and said, "Don't worry, dear. It was a love potion. It wasn't your fault. I might, however, have to kill your brothers," he added with a growl.

"My brothers aren't the issue right now. Harry is. When I told him we were together... he thinks you'll hate him now. I'm scared Remus. I only know Harry for a brief time, but he was so... I guess the word is **desolated**. You need to talk to him Remus."

The werewolf was now **really** worried. "Right away. Come with me?"

Charlie gave him a soft smile. "Of course. But who's staying with Bill?"

At that moment, at least for once, fate decided to help out, and Sirius came barging in.

--------

**R&R**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I guess this really is turning into a Remus/Charlie as well. I'll have to make Sirius do something about it next chapter…**

**i'm a misfit:** Took me a minute to realize who you were, elley! Thanks for reviewing, dear!

**FluffySmarts: **Sirius can have good timing, when he wants. Thanks!

**MagicalWinry: **I know, I'm updating very slowly. I don't know what's happening, but I'm writing less than I was before. Sorry. Thank you for reviewing.

**Obsessive Fanfic Reader amy: **There's not a lot of Harry-Remus interaaction here. But I'll try to increase that next chapter. Thanks for the review!

**EsScaper: **Thanks for the criticism! Really, it was nice. I hope I fixed it here, when he got angry with the twins. Anyway, I have already another prank planned against them, this time by Remus. Thanks again!

**Save-A-Broom-Ride-A-Chaser: **Thanks for reviewing!

**liam the luton lion: **Thank you so much!

**---------IX---------**

Harry had had enough. He had enough of all that he always went through in his short, eventful life. He was just so** tired**. Tired in a way that even tears were no longer falling from his eyes. No longer could he clutch at the sheets of his bed — he didn't have the strength to do so. Emptiness overtook him, and it was the best he felt in **ages**! Simple emptiness. The gryffindor was currently sitting by the large window in the dorm, looking at the early morning still dark sky, a tinge of orange barely visible in the eastern horizon.

"You are not going to jump, are you?" a voice; a girl's voice echoed through the room. It had a strange feeling to it, reminding the green-eyed teen of a disillusionment charm, waves of ice hitting him with every other vowel. However, he could take comfort too in the voice, almost recognisable. So he turned around to meet his uninvited visitor...

And gasped. Surely that couldn't be her. What would she be doing at Hogwarts, after all. How was she able to... to... well, turn into a ghost !

"Well, Harry, I must say you look like you've seen a ghost," Sarah said, mock seriously. "Oh, yeah, I guess you have!" Harry couldn't help but laugh, albeit reluctantly and only a little.

"How?" he asked. "I mean–"

"I know what you mean, Har," his old friend cut him, and he smiled, because she was the only one who called him Har. He could still remember the day, so many years ago, when she asked _'May I call you Har?'_ and all he could do was turn his head to point at Dudley's friends, glaring daggers at her. _'Never mind them,'_ she had said. _'They just don't like you 'cause if you collapse they can't sell you to a soap factory!'_ Every time they got together they would laugh at the joke. "I– Well, I didn't die on a boat accident," Harry gasped, but she moved on, "actually, I had never seen a boat before I died.

"What happened is that I got sick. Leukaemia. Muggles didn't have any treatment for that. My mother, however, was a witch, so she took me to St. Mungos, introduced me to the magical world. Unfortunately, they couldn't cure me either. When she took me here, for a tour of her old school, I met the ghosts and decided I would stay in this world as one, so I could find out everything about magic," she continued.

"I have been watching you, you know? I am so proud of what you've done! But that stupid Bloody Baron wouldn't let me talk to you. That is," she opened up a smile, " until I told him that if he kept annoying me I would create havoc in the dungeons, including Oily's office."

Harry laughed heartily. "Oily? I liked that! I guess we could sell him to a soap factory, as well," he said, making them both chuckle. "I'm glad you're here."

"I'm glad I'm here too. Now, tell me what's going on!" she demanded.

"Guess I'd better start at the beginning," Harry commenced. "Have you heard of a certain Sirius Black? No? Well, he's my godfather..."

----------------------/--------------------------

By the time Remus and Charlie reached the floor of the Griffyndor's common room, the red-head was panting, as well as cursing Remus for not even breaking a sweat. It was very unflattering for him, as the younger lover, to be flushed and sweating for climbing some thousand steps (at least it felt like it) while the older man seemed unaffected, werewolf or not werewolf.

Right in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady, Dumbledore was patiently waiting for them. He waited for the couple to reach him before acknowledging them. "Remus, Charlie," he nodded towards the men. "You are here to see Harry, I presume."

"We were hoping to, Albus," Remus answered, for Charlie was still catching his breath. "I know it's not usual for students to be allowed visits, but–"

"It's no problem at all, my friend," the headmaster cut him, patting him on the shoulder. "However, I believe Harry has a visitor already."

Charlie, still panting a bit asked, "Who?" but the old man simply held out his open hand to silence him.

"Please," he continued, "do not interrupt their conversation. I feel it's one that will help Harry tremendously." Seeing the obvious confusion of the younger men, he added, "I have these two extensible ears from the twins here with me, however, if you want to eavesdrop."

However, if Dumbledore thought that would lighten the mood, this was one of those few occasions where he was sorely mistaken. Remus almost growled at him, and Charlie had his fists balled. "Well, I suppose you are right. This is quite intrusive in his privacy. Let's just ignore this and the fact that I was joking, shall we?" He turn to leave but halted as he remembered something. "Oh, yes! The password is _Horntail_. Good evening."

Both men just nodded at him and entered the common room, Remus stomping at the stones at his feet.

"Remus," Charlie called, tentatively. "I– You're not so OK with what happened, are you?" he asked, looking down.

The werewolf, seeing this, quickly reached Charlie's side and lifted his chin, so that he could lean his forehead against his lover's. "I'm sorry. I really didn't think I was this angry. But it's mostly at your brothers," he confessed.

The Weasley made a move to sit down at a large armchair, but Remus stopped him and sat there first, spreading his legs so that his lover could sit between them. When he did, a lean arm wrapped around his broad chest. Charlie hummed happily, feeling the werewolf, _his_ werewolf, breathing deeply behind him, the flat chest moving up and down. "Don't worry Remus," he said, as the man behind him started to tangle his fingers in the silky red hair. "We; Harry and I, I mean; taught them a lesson they won't forget. And when they do, they just have to look in a mirror to remember," the man said, chuckling.

"Excuse me?" Remus said, puzzled.

"Err– Well, it was Harry's idea, really. The preparations aren't important, so I'll just..." Charlie moved his hands in a 'move along' gesture, so Remus just nodded. "We gave them boils that spell 'Courtesy of Harry and Charlie'."

Remus looked at him, half impressed, half amused. "Where?"

"At their house, we just sneaked in and…" he saw Remus exasperated look and continued, "and then I understood what you asked." Remus gave a deep chuckle that, in their position, reverberated in Charlie, making the younger man shiver. "Let's just say they are going to be needing lots of pillows to sit on."

When Charlie turned his head and looked up at Remus, he saw the pride glistening in them. "A true marauder, then," he said, dreamily. "Harry, I mean," he added. "Why, Mr. Weasley, I liked your revenge. I liked it an awful lot." The werewolf leaned in to soundly kiss his boyfriend.

Said boyfriend smiled smugly after they came up for– well, not for air, since they were breathing through their noses, but mostly because they would end up doing it in the middle of the gryffindor common room if they didn't. "Thanks, love. But don't call me Mr. Weasley again, it reminds me of my father. I love him to death, but his is not an image I like to have while kissing you."

----------------------/----------------------

"Fuck this Sirius guy! You can do better," Sarah cried.

"You don't know that," Harry murmured back at her. "And believe me, I have absolutely no objections about fucking him," he laughed. It was nice being with his friend again. He didn't think he could have pulled that last one off with anybody else. He would simply die of embarrassment before.

Harry continued talking, not noticing that Remus opened the door to take a peak. "But, you know, I think I'm getting over the fact that I'll never be with Sirius," he said, dejectedly. "It's just…"

"I know," the ghost said. "It's this Remus person."

Harry nodded. "I really love him. Not like Sirius, mind you, but… He's family. And I'll loose him, now."

"Oh, Harry!" Both ghost and boy looked at Remus, startled, but he strode through the room and sat beside Harry. "You will **never** loose me! Fred and George, sure, they'll loose me. But not you. Never you," he said, earnestly putting a hand on Harry's shoulder.

However, when Harry's bright green eyes looked at him questioning him, almost disbelieving, he took the gryffindor in his arms and held him close, as the youth wrapped his arms around his torso.

"Took you long enough," Sarah said, and three chuckles echoed in the room.

--------------------/-------------------

**Hope you liked it. Read & Review.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: **Yes, I am J.K. Rowling and I own everything in the world. Except… Wait… Oh, right! I'm not, and I don't.

**A/N:** Yay! Almost 2.000 words! Enjoy! And something I should have said a long time ago: I have no beta, so forgive any mistakes, please.

**Branwen777: Thanks! Sorry for the delay.**

**Serpent91: Thank you for reviewing and enjoying!**

**HyenaWolf: Thanks, here's more Sirius for you!**

**EsScaper: Well, more SiriusHarry in this chapter, finally. And Remus shows more of his anger here, not to mention Sirius. Thank you very much for reviewing.**

**Save-A-Broom-Ride-A-Chaser: Thanks!**

**maraudermania: Well, here is some HarrySirius! Thanks for your review.**

**Krazi Kelli: Thank you so much!**

**i'm a misfit: It is hard, but Sirius is already making it better! Thanks for reviewing!**

**----------X----------**

The next few days were very nice for Harry, for a change. He spent his time with Remus and Charlie at the common room, listening to the dragon keeper's stories of what a 'joy' (his own words) it was to transport 4 dragons to Britain for the Triwizard contest. Apparently, the Hungarian Horntail also slashed Charlie on his shoulder and back, leaving a (another) white scar. Harry, for his part, shared the whole philosopher's stone story from his first year and the Chamber of Secrets story from his second year. Charlie demanded to see the scar from the basilisk's tooth. Remus too told quite a few tales about himself after he left Hogwarts (as a student), including a close call he had with a female dementor (to what Harry promptly added "They have genders?") that decided he should be her mate. It goes without saying that he was teased for about two hours; in which point he made it quite clear that if Charlie didn't stop teasing, he wouldn't walk straight for a week; and if Harry didn't stop, the next love potion incident would involve the gryffindor and Filch.

The three of them continued to talk about little things, including (a subject brought on by Remus' threat) Harry and Charlie's theory on the likelihood of an affair between Filch and Mme. Pince. As Remus laughed, he told them that he once caught the librarian and the old and very female divination teacher snogging in her little library booth — which brought conjectures about an affair between Mme. Pince and Mme. Pomfrey. Since their talk was so loud, they didn't hear someone calling out for Charlie outside, nor the sound of the portrait opening to let someone in.

"Charlie, I've been looking for you everywhere!" Sirius cried, panting from running up the stairs. "Your bro-" the gray-eyed man saw Harry looking at him with wide eyes, and promptly climbing up to the dorms. He sighed. "Your brother is out from St. Mungos. Your mother asked me to tell you that they'll be at the Burrow," the animagus finished dejectedly.

The red-head smiled sadly at him. "Thanks. I'd better go see them," he said getting up and heading to the portrait hole.

"Wait!" Remus asked, getting up as well "I'll go with you. Now, you," he added looking pointedly at Sirius, "go talk to Harry. But don't push the subject. And for Merlin's sake, be **honest** with the boy!" He gave Sirius a quick hug and went on his way, hand entwined with his boyfriend's.

Sirius took a deep breath, looked at the stairs leading to the boys dorm rooms, exhaled and made a beeline to Harry's dorm.

When he reached the door, it was open, and Harry was sitting on his bed, reading a rather large book. However, his eyes were clearing unmoving and one of his hands had clenched into a fist. He was also softly biting his lower lip.

"Harry," Sirius started, tentatively. "We have to talk."

Harry's eyes closed and he inhaled deeply. "No, we don't. There's nothing for us to talk right now."

The older man sighed, walking to the bed and sitting down next to the hurt gryffindor. "Yes, there is. You know there is," he murmured, stroking the mane of messy black hair next to him. Harry, however, kept his eyes down. "I've missed you, Har. I really have."

Finally, Harry looked up right into his eyes. "It doesn't matter. I can't go back to living with you. I can't keep seeing you every time I look around, or..."

The animagus braced himself. "Or what?"

Again, Harry looked him in the eyes, piercing his soul. "Or I won't get over you. 'Till then, it's best that I don't see you, alright?"

"No! It's not alright!" Sirius answered bitterly. "It's not alright that I don't get to see you! It's not alright that I don't get to open your door late at night and watch you sleep! It's not alright that I don't get to hold you!" he said, getting up and pacing through the room. "And it's certainly not alright that I'm so fucking confused about you right now," he added quietly.

Harry looked at him, perplexed. "Confused? Confused how? You know what? It doesn't matter! I'm sorry that my feelings make your life so unbelievably unbearable," he said dryly, eyes shining with unshed tears. "I'm sorry that I love you, you stupid mutt! God knows I've tried not to!"

Sirius looked at the youth, enraged. "And do you think I like it? That I like needing you so much?! I don't! That I like that I started to have feelings for you? That I like being the pervert that fancies his best friends' son, his own godson, for fuck's sake!"

The older man opened his mouth to continue, but Harry's mouth crashed on his on a bruising, deep kiss. A velvety tongue plunged into his mouth and stroked his lower lip, coaxing a moan out of the animagus. He wrapped his arms around Harry, bringing them as close as possible.

When they interrupted their fierce kiss, the green-eyed gryffindor laid his head on Sirius' shoulder inhaling deeply. "I've dreamed about this for so long…"

Sirius sighed. "I know. I- I'm still not sure Harry. I'm not sure of almost anything. I had no idea that I had these feelings. I don't know when they came up… And, most of all, I have absolutely no bloody idea what to make of this," he said, gesturing to the two of them.

Harry looked at him affectionately, with a smile. He knew where the man was coming from; he did. He had been there a few years back. "I know," the young man said, stroking one of Sirius' cheeks with his thumb. "Talk to Remus, lo- Sirius." He almost said love there! Better keep a close watch on his mouth. "You can talk to me too, of course. But it wouldn't be fair, I'm absolutely biased and will most certainly always tell you that this is all great and we are meant to be together," Harry added, reasonably. "He will help you, he has some degree of outsight, after all."

It was Sirius' time to look at Harry tenderly. He brought the youth into a tight hug and muttered almost in the shell of his ear, "I don't know if you make it all easier or harder being so much more mature than myself."

Harry looked up at him, pleasantly noting that Sirius was just a few inches taller than himself. "Do talk to Moony, though. Ron and Hermione helped me understand this all so much better. I needed them then, you need him now." He quickly pecked Sirius' mouth and went to sit on his bed. Sirius just nodded to himself and started for the door. "Wait!" Harry interrupted him. "I've gained some- err… experience with Remus and Charlie these past few days, and… Well, just make sure to bloody knock before you enter any room, bathroom, broom closet — or any closet in general, for that matter — where they might possibly be."

The animagus let out a deep, infectious chuckle that soon had them both laughing. "Thanks for the tip, love. Good night." And he was off.

Harry let his head hit the pillow with a thump, smiling smugly, but happily, at Sirius endearment for him. "Curiosity killed the cat, you know!" he said loudly to the room.

Suddenly the his pale ghost friend appeared through a wall and answered, "Why do I care, I'm already dead! Except… Do you reckon I'll be turned into a cat?" There was a moment of silence before the two friends burst into hysterical laughter.

---------

The Burrow was utterly full of Weasleys (and one Lupin) there to celebrate the safe return of Bill to their lives. Ginny used a spell make her enormous hand-drawn banner, that was hanging from the ceiling of the kitchen, to sing 'Welcome Home, Pretty Unicorn', her favorite song as a child. Charlie had gotten his older brother a hat he asked Remus and Harry themselves to ward against any kind of evil — the boy had an amazing talent for warding spells.

"This is from Harry and me. Wear it next time!" he warned Bill, with a smile.

Ron, who was still home for the holydays, had joined their father to find a suitable gift. They bought together an auto-translating rune dictionary; one that lit up Bill's face when he received it, and earned the both of them tight hugs and the subsequent legendary Weasley blush. The younger Weasley boy then went to talk to Charlie to find out how Harry was doing.

When the twins, however, were about to let out their own gift — a set of mummy-shaped fireworks to scare Bill's curse-breaker friends — Remus caught them by the back of their robes and roughly pulled them into a nearby room. When they were thrown into a wall, they looked back and saw Remus with a feral glint in his amber, now almost golden, eyes. The man's canine teeth were showing and he was growing softly.

"How dare you, you little shits!" That made Fred start to shake and George look wildly for a way out of the small room. There was none. "If you ever hurt my cub or my boyfriend again," the werewolf said, grabbing their collar and lifting them so their feet were hanging several inches from the floor. "I will personally make sure you understand exactly why werewolves are considered dark and dangerous creatures by the Ministry," Remus growled at them, threateningly.

At that moment, Fred was able to see Sirius staring from the door. "Sirius… Help us!"

But the animagus was looking at them with narrow, dangerous eyes. "Remus said you hurt his cub," he started, with icy calm. "The only cub he has is Harry. But you couldn't possibly hurt my Harry, since you are well aware that I **will** rip apart anyone to do so." Remus by now had dropped them to the floor and went to stand by his best friend, both pair of eyes shining with anger. The twins were absolutely speechless, and Fred specially looked like he was about to wet his pants.

Just then Charlie entered the room, looking for his boyfriend. Finding his brothers backed up in a corner he muttered, "Out. Now!" at them, and they left, leaving him to deal with two fuming men.

The red-haired dragon keeper took Remus' hands in his and kiss them, muttering in an almost inaudible voice calming words that Sirius couldn't hear. When Charlie decided Remus was more calm, he enveloped the older man in his arms and let him rest his head on his shoulder. Sirius, however, wasn't getting calmer (since Charlie wasn't a black-haired, green-eyed, 16-year-old destined to save the world), and simply said coolly, "Explain."

Charlie and Remus looked at each other and, after a few moments, the lycanthrope sighed. "It's better if I explain," the latter said. "Let's go to Grimmauld Place. I'll tell you what those…" Remus curled his hands into fists, and Charlie tightened his hold on the man, offering his soothing presence. Regaining a little control, the tawny-haired werewolf said, "What **they** did. Let's go to Grimmauld Place."

Answering with a curt nod, Sirius disapparated. Charlie turned Remus to face him. "Want me to go too?" he asked simply.

Remus smiled, albeit just a bit. "No. I want to have a living boyfriend when this whole ordeal is over." With a quick, but passionate kiss on Charlie's lips, Remus disapparated.

The red-head sighed. "Good luck," he said to no one in particular and made his way back to the kitchen, where his mother was sure to be serving a banquet and screaming her lungs out at the twins.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I'm very sorry for taking ages with this. It just doesn't want to be written. Really, this was supposed to be the last chapter, but I haven't finished it. So, I decided to post it as it is and finish it in the next chapter.**

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews! I promise I'll start answering to your reviews through the e-mail thingy from now on, 'kay?**

**-----------XI-----------**

"They did what?" Sirius screamed. His magic, uncontrolled, made a nearby window shatter.

"It was just a prank, I suppose. Rationalizing, we can't deny it would actually be something beneath us when we were their age," Remus said reasonably, his arms still sore from holding Sirius to stop him from leaving to kill Charlie. He hoped he wouldn't have to do that again but on the twins' behalf, especially when he himself was still having to keep his temper in check.

Sirius looked at him dryly. "It doesn't make me want to kill them any less."

"No, it doesn't," Remus agreed, tilting his head.

Grimmauld Place's living room was only partially illuminated, the fuming men not having given themselves the trouble of lighting all the candles when they arrived from the Burrow. Some of the glass shatters now lying on the carpeted floor were reflecting the candlelight, creating a phantasmagorical effect in the ambient. It prompted Sirius to murmur a quick _Reparo_ to fix the window.

"Well," the dog Animagus started, after a long awkward silence, "what _are_ we going to do about it?"

"I don't think we have to do much," Remus answered with an enigmatic smirk. "Apparently, Harry is a lot more of a Marauder than we figured. And I'm rubbing off on Charlie too."

"Moony," Sirius interrupted. "Spare me the details of your rubbing on your boyfriend. I love you, but I really don't want to know about how you get off with him."

"As I was saying," Remus continued as if not interrupted—though he couldn't help the light blush that coloured his cheeks—, "Harry and Charlie have done something about it already. Something to do with boils and not being able to sit without flinching for a few months."

A bark-like laugh echoed through the room. "Merlin, he _is _lovely, isn't he? Harry, I mean."

Remus raised an eyebrow suggestively. "So, I assume you made a decision when you talked to Harry?"

"You assume correctly, Messer Moony," Sirius replied, not able to keep the smile off his face. "Gods, but that kid can kiss!"

The werewolf gave Sirius a hearty laugh. "Padfoot, if you say something like that you can't call him a kid anymore!"

"I s'pose you're right. I have to get used to it. But I'm falling for him, Moony," Sirius said, earnestly. "I'm falling for him hard."

Remus smiled, walked up to Sirius and enveloped his friend in a bear hug that lasted a long time.

-------

"Hello there…" Charlie said tentatively as he Apparated into Grimmauld Place to find his boyfriend hugging his friend tightly and not giving any sign of letting go.

"Err- Charlie!" Remus said, hastily ending the embrace. "You're here!"

"No, I'm in Egypt breaking curses until Bill can get back to work… Of course I'm here!" Charlie replied ironically. He turned to Sirius. "Is it safe for me to be here yet?"

Sirius smiled, albeit it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Sure. I think I'll go see Harry. Squeeze the 'incident' for all it's got. I figure I can at lest get a good snog out of it," he said, smirking.

"Oh, I'm sure you can," Remus and Charlie answered simultaneously, which prompted them to double over laughing.

"Well, on that note, I'll be going," Sirius said, giving them a mock glare. "And Harry told me about your little problem…"

"What little problem?" Charlie said indignantly.

"The one where you feel the need to… let's say 'christen' every room, closet, bathroom or kitchen you can think of. So, stay out of my bedroom," he explained and Disapparated.

Again, Charlie and Remus looked at each other and doubled over laughing. When they calmed down, Remus prompted, "So, Sirius' room?"

Charlie's smirk lit up the room. "You bet."

-------

Sirius Apparated outside of Hogwarts and cast his _Patronus_ away to let Dumbledore know he was there. Soon enough, the Headmaster appeared in a burst of flames, holding a still not fully-grown Fawkes in his hands.

"Sirius! You shouldn't Apparate around like this, especially outside," the old man chided. "I know we are close to clearing your name, but it won't do to have you thrown back in Azkaban or given the kiss."

Merlin! How Dumbledore always made him feel like he was a first-year caught roaming through the Forbidden Forest, he would never know. "I'm sorry, Professor." Sirius couldn't help calling the Headmaster by his old title.

"Well, come in, come in," Dumbledore said, waving his wand to open up the gates. "What brings you here, Sirius?"

"I…" the Animagus faltered, unsure of how much he should tell the Headmaster. Of course, he wouldn't be surprised if the nosy codger knew all about it already. "I came to see Harry," he decided to say simply. Dumbledore didn't say anything after that and simply started climbing the path towards the castle.

They were almost at the castle doors and Sirius was just thinking that the silence between them was almost a companionable one, when the old man decided to break it. "I don't think he is ready for this," he stated.

"What?" Sirius asked puzzled.

"Your relationship with Harry. I don't think he is ready for it," the Headmaster explained. "He is too young. But," he continued, holding up a finger to stop Sirius' protests, "I shall not interfere. Harry's love life is his and his alone. Merlin knows he has suffered enough interference in his life as it is."

"Thanks," the dark haired man replied, plainly, though in his head he added _'Yeah, he's had enough interference in his life. Mostly from you'_

"Yes. As I have already told Harry, after the unfortunate incident when Minister Fudge fell through the veil, his successes are his to celebrate but his mistakes are also his to make." Dumbledore said, bitter-sweetly, as he opened the oak doors. "Here, take Fawkes. He shall take you directly to the Gryffindor tower and then come back to me."

"Thanks," Sirius repeated. "But I think we will prove you wrong," he continued, disappearing right afterward.

"I hope so, dear boy," Dumbledore muttered to himself as he walked inside the castle. "I certainly hope so."

-------

"…I absolutely hate her. Despise her, really. I mean, she's already dead, what's there left to complain? 'Oh, please, stay with me,' she says. Like I'm going to spend my afterlife locked in a bathroom with a whiny little bitch."

Harry's laugh reverberated through the room. "I don't think I've ever heard someone talk about Moaning Myrtle like that."

"Well, it's all true, is it not?" Sara replied. It was odd seeing her, considering she was directly in front of the window; the daylight was shining right through her translucent form. "Enough about the annoying bint, tell me about you and Sirius!"

"First, where the hell did you learn to swear like that? I mean you were 10 when you died, you certainly didn't talk like that…" Harry said, ignoring the question.

"Err- So, I might have spend some time with the Bloody Baron in the Slytherin dungeons. I mean, the snakes have a really dirty mouth," she explained, "but the Baron has the dirtiest of them all. There's a rumour that it's the castle's magic that doesn't let him speak anywhere outside the dungeons, because of all the swearing." At Harry's raised eyebrow, she added, "It's just a rumour; I didn't say it was the truth. Anyway, you didn't answer my question."

Harry smiled sheepishly. "Fine. Sirius and I are…"

"…going to talk now," Sirius said, striding into the room and startling both Gryffindor and ghost. "So, out with you," he added, making a shoo motion with his hands toward Sara.

The girl turned narrow eyes to Sirius. "Talk to me like that again and I'll make sure to accidentally drop an Impotency potion Snape has in stock on you."

Sirius' just stared at her open-mouthed. "Snivellus has an Impotency potion stored up? And I always thought he couldn't get any because of his… Well, because he's just plain ugly," he said laughing, but he soon sobered up, remembering the threat. "Anyway, sorry. Can you please leave so that Harry and I can talk?" he asked as politely as he could.

"That's better," the ghost said, disappearing through the floor.

"Hmm…" Sirius muttered as an awkward silence stretched over them.

"So," Harry answered in the same tone, knowing well enough what Remus and Sirius had talked about prior to his arrival.

-----

"_Harry", Charlie had called, his head floating around the green flames now lighting the hearth in the Gryffindor common room._

"_Charlie," the Gryffindor teen answered enthusiastically, quickly striding there form the couch where he was reading _The Necromancer of Westminster_. It was a light, funny reading that left Harry in an excellent mood. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked, but, guessing Charlie's answer to that, he amended, "I mean, it's nice to see you again!"_

"_Nice to see you too, mate." The redhead took a deep breath. "Sirius knows. Of our ordeal, I mean. And the twins' fault on that."_

"_Oh," Harry said simply, not quite knowing how to react. "How did Sirius take it?"_

"_Err- I only saw the initial reaction, really; so I can't really tell," Charlie mumbled noncommittally._

"_Charlie," the green-eyed youth warned._

"_Fine," the Weasley huffed. "He didn't take it well at all. He was about to kill the twins when he found out. Remus was, too. Merlin, Remus was growling and his eyes were all golden and shiny. That was such a turn-on…"_

"_Charlie," Harry repeated, "don't sidetrack!"_

"_Oi, sorry, Har. Anyways, Sirius was about to kill them when I came in and he and Remus Apparated to Grimmauld Place to talk," Charlie's floating head finished explaining. "Just thought I'd give you a heads up. Seriously, be ready for anything when Sirius talks to you again."_

"_God! Is it that bad?"_

"_Maybe not," Charlie answered, not quite earnestly._

"_Oh," Harry murmured, falling on an armchair. Alright then... Thanks, Charlie."_

"_Don't mention it," the red-head said. Looking pointedly at Harry, he added, "Cheer up, Har. I'm sure you'll get through it. It's not like it was your fault—or mine for that matter," and disappeared._

--------

"Oh, for Christ's sake!" Harry said loudly, breaking the silence.

"Who's Christ?" Sirius tried to ask, while his mind went back to his Histoty of Magic classes to find some wizard with that name.

"Never mind," Harry muttered dismissively, "it's not important. I had sex with Charlie, influenced by an aphrodisiac potion. It was my first time and it was good."

Sirius gaped at Harry and he was coughing a bit hysterically after the green-eyed teen said it was good. "Merlin, Harry!" he exclaimed when he got control of his diaphragm. "Way to treat a delicate subject."

"I'm sorry, Sirius," Harry said dejectedly. "But it's not going away. Just like me loving you didn't go away and just like when you told me you couldn't love me didn't go away," he continued, half annoyed and half depressed. "We're gonna have to deal with all of that sooner or later, and you know damn well I don't have the patience for later."

The older man took a deep breath and took a seat on one of the beds. "Yes. I know."

"So," Harry said, sitting on the same bed as Sirius, "let's start from the start. And I'm not complaining. Believe me," he murmured, chuckling despite the wetness in his eyes. "But what happened? What changed between that day when you couldn't love me like this and now?"

"What happened?" Sirius repeated, stroking one of Harry's hands. "I lost my ground, Harry. You left and all of a sudden my chest felt too tight and my stomach clenched and I was shaking. And I had no bloody idea of what was going on!" The Gryyfindor opened his mouth to say something, but Sirius squeezed his hand to stop him. "It's just. I had forgotten. Forgotten what love felt like. The dementors," Harry felt Sirius' shudder through his hand, though he didn't have the courage to look at Sirius' haunted eyes, "they sucked it out. All I knew is that being around you was good. I liked it. But, you see, heartbreak is something I remember all too well. All kinds of it; I fucking relived every single heartbreak I had for over a decade." Sirius was by now shaking, and Harry simply held him.

The haunted man tried to continue a few times, but Harry wouldn't let go of him, his head was being pressed against Harry's chest by an arm, while another caressed his back. Harry was resting his nose on the top of his head and every now and then the green-eyed teen would kiss his hair.

However, Sirius was some inches taller than Harry and his position was getting uncomfortable. Eventually, he pressed against Harry's arm and straightened his back. "Where was I?"

"Heartbreaks," Harry answered simply.

"Yeah," Sirius said, chuckling sadly. "I couldn't see that I could love you like that, but when you left, how I was feeling… After talking to Remus a couple of times and doing a lot of thinking, I figured I had lied to you, I can love you like that. I've started to love you like that."

"Started?" Harry murmured.

Sirius looked Harry in the eyes, honestly. "Yes. I'm sorry, Harry. I don't love you the way you love me. But I have some romantic feelings for you. And they're growing. But I can't give you more than that right now."

Surprising the older man, the Gryffindor took Sirius' lips in a searing kiss. "And I can't ask you more from you right now. You're already giving me so much more than I thought you could."

A few moments of silence followed, broken by a yawn from Harry. "Damn," he said, looking at his watch. "It's almost midnight."

"Already? We should sleep. We'll continue this tomorrow."

"Yeah," Harry said, laying down on the bed and kicking his shoes away. When he got under the duvet, he looked up at Sirius. "What're you waiting for? A written invitation from the Queen?"

Sirius laughed his bark-like laughter, got rid of his own shoes and cuddled Harry. It didn't take long for either of them to sleep, though Sirius had to ignore Harry's erection pressing on his belly, and Harry's subsequent blush.

------


End file.
